Students and young university staff development in the context of e-learning and the fourth industrial revolution

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Le Doan Minh Duc et al. Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 9(3), 42-48

STUDENTS AND YOUNG UNIVERSITY STAFF
DEVELOPMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF E-LEARNING
AND THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
LE DOAN MINH DUC1,*, NGUYEN HOANG TIEN1 and NGUYEN THI HOANG YEN1
1

Thu Dau Mot University, Vietnam
*Corresponding author:
(Received: April 9, 2019; Revised: June 6, 2019; Accepted: July 17, 2019)

ABSTRACT
This article aims at presenting the current state of students’ capacity for learning and
competencies of young staff members in Vietnamese universities. Then, we imply some
orientations to improve students’ capacity for learning and young lecturers’ capacity for teaching
in the 4th industrial revolution such as: Application of technology in teaching - education
management and international affair.
Keywords: E-learning; Industrial revolution 4.0; Students; Studying capacity; Young
lecturers
1. Introduction
In education the most important factor
deciding quality is not a material, but
experience and competencies of academic
lecturers and students ‘capacity for selfstudying, especially by multiple methods of
distant learning. Tertiary education is treated
normally as a bridge linking graduates with
labor market which is increasingly demanding
and integrated worldwide. Due to that fact, the

role of young academic staff becomes more
and more vital and the enhancement of the
quality of staff, especially young lecturers is a
critical issue that should be put on the top of
the agenda for university development. In
addition, living in the age of virtual world of
Internet technology for education and
progressing Industrial Revolution 4.0, students
should be equipped with self-studying
and distant learning capacity to acquire
knowledge efficiently, adapting to the general
requirements of new time.

2. The 4th Industrial Revolution –
Challenges and Opportunities
There are really big differences between
Vietnamese domestic students and international
students (including Vietnamese students
studying overseas) in term of flexibility,
adaptability, creativity, self-learning and distant
learning capacity that are the ways and
teaching methods at local and abroad
universities. The problem starts from an early
stage –high school. High school students study
too much and have no time for entertainment,
sport and creativity compared their friends at
the same age in developed countries. They may
perform better, for example at university
entrance exams where the knowledge of high
school teaching programs is simply being

verified. Vietnamese students may encounter
problems when the exams take other forms to
check the capacity of applying the learned
knowledge such as logical thinking and
reasoning with numbers in math, ideas and


Le Doan Minh Duc et al. Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 9(3), 42-48

sentences in literature and foreign languages.
At universities’ stage of study where some
elements of creativity and innovation, taking
further initiatives are needed to acquire
knowledge efficiently, especially by using
diverse e-learning methods and technologies,.
In contrast, they (the foreign students) are
simply used to such methods of learning,
including also e-learning, and discovering
things at an early age. Vietnamese students are
full of stress since they struggle with taking
additional courses and passing difficult exams
which no creativity is required. This way,
Vietnamese students have simply killed their
innovative capacity desperately needed for
Internet
based
technology
based on self-studying at university where
the methods of teaching and learning,
predominantly based on exploring and

screening open learning resources online, selfdiscovering and independent thinking, are
completely different from those at high school.
If they are not going to change themselves
quickly they will have real trouble with
studying at foreign universities overseas and
lag behind in competition with students of
other nations (Nguyen Hoang Tien, 2017).
3. The Role of Young Academic
Lecturers to Enhance Students’ E-Learning
Capacities
In Vietnamese universities most of
lecturers are required to have a master’s degree
with classified as outstanding or excellent.
After that, they have to strive for the highest
degree, namely PhD degree. However it is
always impossible for everyone for various
familiar reasons. That’s why in many key
universities countrywide, the proportion of
lectures with master’ degrees is predominant
but in local universities even none of
academic lecturers have PhD degree. The next
problem of Vietnamese universities is the
process of promotion from PhD to Associate
Professor/Professor. In order to do that
candidates must carry out many researches and

43

international articles. As we know, Vietnam
is known for a small number of PhD

professors, compared with regional and global
universities. Thus it is very hard to be
promoted to such academic titles. Those who
have an international PhD degree will work in
a pleasant working environment, contact with
high-ranking professors that help them push
forward their international publication and
recognition (Nguyen Hoang Tien, 2018).
In developed countries, academic lectures
should meet high requirements of academic
degrees and titles, so they are very different
from the business environment outside where
pressure and priority are put on business
experience and working performance. First
class professors who are in a position of
authority are renown in the society and in the
scientific world. Their most important role is to
help students and the next generations
develop their full potential. Young lecturers
will sign a 5- to-7-year- labor contract with
their universities if they meet the minimum
requirements of a PhD degree and post-doc
studies. During the period of time, their main
focus of attention is scientific research and
publication in order to fulfill the requirements
for becoming a professor. Otherwise, they
should leave the university environment to find
other suitable jobs. If a university cannot sign
long term labor contracts with at least ten
professors it is not allowed to open a concrete

major and enroll students because of a lack of
PhD professors as key faculty staff members
(Nguyen Hoang Tien, 2018).
The above analyses show us the difference
in terms of quality and professionalism
between domestic and international academic
teaching staff. This difference stems
predominantly from intellectual level, socio economic development, science - technology
background, environment, culture and
traditions of each nation. To bridge the gap of
distance in terms of teaching quality and
publication capacity, Vietnamese teaching


Le Doan Minh Duc et al. Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 9(3), 42-48

44

and researching staff can overcome their
weaknesses and shortcomings using e-learning
technology in teaching and doing research at
local or international levels. E-learning, eresearching technologies are to level up local
and global disparity and bring development
opportunities for all, especially in tertiary
education sector.
We aim at developing and improving
potential and competencies of Vietnamese
young lectures in the age of virtual society and
digital economy we should analyze and
investigate the needs more as well as the

urgency of total education reform in the
context of the Internet-based education
technology, open learning resources accessible
to the Internet and the development of the 4th
Industrial Revolution.
4. The 4th Industrial Revolution –
challenges and opportunities
The term “Industrial Revolution 4.0” or
“the 4th Industrial Revolution” (the 4th IR or IR
4.0) has been mentioned for the first time in
2011 at the Hannover fair presenting industrial
program 4.0 to boost Germany’s traditional
branch of automation and mechanics. A
group of expert on industry 4.0 has presented
a series of recommendations on industrial
modernization and implementation for German
government. They are considered as fathers

and driving forces behind the so called
Industrie
4.01
( thu-4-3574624.html).
“Industrie 4.0” connect embedded system
and smart production bases to create a digital
convergence of industries, businesses, their
functions and internal processes
( />The first three world industrial revolutions
have been presented in table 1. Currently
the 4th industrial revolution stems from the
3th industrial revolution, connecting all

technologies together, deleting the boundary
between physical world, virtual world
and biological living world. According
to Klaus Schwab (2016), the speed of
change of the 4th industrial revolution
is unprecedented. Comparing to previous
revolutions, the 4th revolution develops with
not linear but exponential speed. On top of
that, due to interdisciplinary character and with
ICT as a background, it currently destroys all
structures of industrial branches in all
countries. It premonish the transformation,
both extensively and intensively, of the
production, business ans management systems
worldwide.

Tabel 1
World industrial revolutions
IR

Time period

Technological content

1.0

1820-1870

Transport and communication.
Steam engine.

2.0

1870-1913

Traditional industries (agriculture, heavy industries, mechanics,
metallurgy, chemistry) in developed countries.
Electrical engine.

3.0

1913-1950

New technologies such as: Energy, space and aviation technology,
biotechnology, military technology, information and communication
technology.
Informatization and automatization.


Le Doan Minh Duc et al. Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 9(3), 42-48

IR

Time period

Technological content

4.0

1950-present

Technology integration based on ICT platforms.
-Social Network
-Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning
-Internet of Things
-Big Data
-3D Printer
-Virtual Reality
-Cloud and Cognitive Computing
-Driveless cars, Drones
-Smart robot, factory and city
-E-Learning, telemedicine

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Source: /> thu-4-3574624.html.

Currently IR 4.0 is taking place in
America, Europe and parts of Asia (Japan,
South
Korea)
first.
Beside
new
opportunities, IR 4.0 also puts forward many

challenges for humankind. Table 2 presents
those opportunities and challenges related
with IR 4.0 for organizations, economy and
society.

Table 2
Opportunities and challenges due to the 4th industrial revolution
Opportunities

Challenges

1

Many new professions,
entrepreneurship chances

new

jobs

and

new Instability, inequality, imbalance
in the labor market.

2

Enhanced working and production’s productivity. How to educate human resource
Economic growth based on new business models.
that converge proper skills and
competencies.

3

High personalization, social connections done on Traditional ways of production,
many new modes.
distribution and consumption has
been totally changed

4

Proactive and innovative (creative) mind is an Developing countries will lose
advantage of individual and business
their advantages based on cheap
labor cost.

Source: Nguyen Hoang Tien, 2017.

Facing the opportunities and challenges
mentioned above what national governments,
businesses and entrepreneurs can do to success
and gain sustainable competitive advantages in
context of upcoming IR 4.0 and knowledge
based economy where education is the

most important sector and contributor to
GDP growth and social development? Next,
what is the role of universities, its young staff
and students will be for businesses and
institutions in the economy. Of course,
basically, all universities are facing similar


46

Le Doan Minh Duc et al. Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 9(3), 42-48

opportunities and challenges. Most of those
opportunities and challenges are related with
advanced e-learning technology development
and surrounding environment that supports
knowledge acquisition.
5. Competencies of Young Lecturers in
Vietnam Universities
Comparing to foreign countries, in
general, Vietnamese academic staff looks very
young as if men reaching 60, women reaching
50, both of them, with some exceptions, should
retire. Meanwhile, professors of foreign
universities will work as long as theycan,
without limit of age and this is specific to
tertiary education. Especially, life expectancy
in developed countries is exceptionally long.
In practice, almost all Vietnamese academic
staff is young. So we should determine our own
research for a young faculty member under 40
despite some other professions and the
threshold of age, even a reason for earlier
retirement (i.e. in sport or professions that
cause serious damage to human health).
Senior academic staff in Vietnamese
universities are conservative, and bigger in
other epochs and consequently, they are
reluctant to changes in term of radical

educational reforms and not suitable to follow
the achievements and as well as innovations
brought about by e-learning technology and the
IR 4.0. So, all the hopes are put on younger
tech-generations easily and prone to accept
new forms of knowledge acquisition, to
welcome and foster new ideas and to promote
innovative changes initiated by Internet based
technology and IR 4.0 and integrative trends
spilled over all around the world. They are
tasked to lead younger generation of students
to follow their step, to adapt quickly and
conveniently to the fast changing world of
science and technology where capacity of
distant learning, creating and discovering new
frontier of knowledge using open source
e-learning materials is both passionate and
important not only for them but also for

everyone regardless age, belief, profession,
social position, desiring to better function in an
age of e-society, e-economy and IR 4.0 and
take a full advantage of the upcoming chances
and opportunities.
For younger generations of teaching staff
to carry out this serious mission and to fulfill
the expectations of the society they should be
trained and developed accordingly in order to
gain suitable competencies include knowledge,
skills and attitudes that need constant changes

and updates following new trends in the world.
This could be done effectively only by distant
(individual and collective) learning modes.
Given the current quite unfavorable conditions
of Vietnamese education system mentioned
above, young generation of teaching staff
encounter many barriers that need to be
overcome to fit in a totally-reformed education
system directed towards opportunities and
challenged offered by e-learning, Internet
based technologies and IR 4.0.
6. Recommendations for Development
of Young Lecturers Enhance Students’ ELearning Capacities
How to make tertiary education and its
actors (students and young staff of academic
lectures) the main driving force to propel
socio-economic development in such, less
favorable and less innovative current
conditions in Vietnam? Hereafter are several
solutions proposed by the author to enhance
young academic staff’s and competencies to
promote students’ distant learning (for the selfstudying and knowledge acquiring purpose)
capacity for the universities to fulfill their
expectation, execute their mission and carry
out their function by exploring the existing
opportunities and dealing with challenges of
irreversible trends of all-round integration and
enabling e-technology offered by IR 4.0.
a) Policy and strategy for tertiary
education development – as well-known,

Vietnamese government and party prioritizes
investment in education and are striving to


Le Doan Minh Duc et al. Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 9(3), 42-48

do everything, by all means, to improve
education quality following step of South
Korea. Investment in education, especially
in application of wide popular e-learning
technology is a top priority and precondition to
boost knowledge based economy embraced by
including IR 4.0. With limited resources more
investment should be there to boost young
talent, including discovering and promoting
super-youth students to become a role model
for others striving for same success. It is best
to use selective distant learning technology
and strategy in terms of investment in some
key universities, in some key majors, and in
some age group of lectures (preferably young
generations).
b) International cooperation and staff
exchange - With limited resources and
potentials, Vietnamese universities cannot be
developed on its own feet. Foreign cooperation
and support is needed, not only in financial
aspect. Student and staff exchange is needed to
make friends with students and colleagues
from other parts of the world in order to

be acquainted with and to get on with
international standards of teaching, studying
and academic life at global renowned
universities. All of that can be perfectly done
by using Internet based technology enabling
distant learning, researching and exchange of
knowledge and experiences with diverse
counterparts across the globe.
c) Learning foreign experiences of
professional education management – Education
is one of important industries in an economy, so
it should be managed professionally to be
effective as well. Experiences of this field should
be transferred from overseas, where education
has a much longer history of development. This
concerns both students and young lecturing
staff. Tertiary education development and
management could also be effectively done
and significantly improved by omnipresent eenabling technology.

47

d) Integrating newest technology with
e-educational processes - In the current context
of the IR 4.0 without the help of technology
nothing can be done. Widest scope of
integrated technologies should be applied to
enhance and to ease educational processes,
education management processes, teaching and
learning activities of young lecturers and

students, increasing their efficiency, mostly by
bringing most of those activities into the virtual
world online.
e) Enhancing and internationalizing
cultural environment within university - It is
worth to create strong and open a new
technology cultural environment to support
processes of distant researching, teaching,
learning, management and their general
effectiveness at different levels of university.
All cultural values and identities of the
university are constantly developing over time
and should be gradually transformed due to the
trend of integration, internationalization, and
virtualization under the impact of quickly
evolving technology determined by IR 4.0.
Culture change presents a lot of opportunities
for students to create open, active and creative
learning environment that benefits the process
of knowledge, skills and attitude acquisition.
Balanced and sustainable development –
In a world of lightning changes, innovation,
transformation, reformation in terms of both
technology (IR 4.0) and sociology (however
less intensive changes in different fields and
different levels and corners of the society)
a balanced and sustainable approach to general
organizational development is recommended
and needed to calm down the radical
technology changes in order to make up

sociological and individual changes, at least at
the level of distant learning students and distant
teaching and doing research young staff
within the framework of latest and newest
technological developments associated with IR
4.0


48

Le Doan Minh Duc et al. Journal of Science Ho Chi Minh City Open University, 9(3), 42-48

Footnote
1

“Industrie” means industry in German language

References
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